Fujitsu averts big public sector strike in the eleventh hour, but still faces a strike today

Fujitsu averts big public sector strike in the eleventh hour still faces a strike todayFujitsu has forked out an inflation busting pay-rise to some staff working on government contracts across the UK in a move that has satisfied the PCS union, which has called off a strike that would have been held today.

But Unite faces action over alleged unfair treatment of union man. Members of the Unite union working for Fujitsu in Crewe and Manchester voted to take 24-hour strike action on 19 September, over allegations that ex-worker Alan Jenney was singled out for redundancy because of his union membership activity.

Over 1,000 IT workers in government departments were to strike for 24 hours today after the Unite and PCS unions have joined forces in protest at a pay offer from IT service provider Fujitsu. The staff work on contracts in government departments such as the DVLA, HM Revenue and Customs, Home Office and the Ministry of Defence. But a double inflation pay offer for some low paid staff has convinced the union to cancel the strike.

Fujitsu would have faced penalties from its government contracts had it m,issed targets as a result of the strikes.